Canoe Place Inn 8-04-00

Same as every other Todd show. Spectacular. They claimed "doors at 9, Todd at 11". I arrived at 8:10 surprised to find no one else around. I walked right in the open door and headed for the lure of the sound check. From door to stage I saw no one in the club. I stood beside two roadies (I suppose) about five feet from the soundboard, while Todd, Kas and Trey played Buffalo Grass sans MP3. My own private show, too cool. They then played "Hit Me Like a Train" while two guys, then a couple, then two girls trickled in and fell in only a few feet behind me. A bouncer finally shows up and makes them leave, walking up to each group telling them "doors open at 9:30, you have to wait outside". I was trying to stand still, not boppin' to the beat, wiped the smile off my face and folded my arms on my chest, hoping to look critical so that just maybe the bouncer would think I belonged there. Well, I guess it worked because he skipped me and chased everyone else out. Don't tell the bouncers that my NWO Pod tour shirt should have been a dead giveaway.

So, Kas walks off, Todd launches into "Couldn't I Just Tell You" then stops. "Ah, this is supposed to be the harmony check" Kas scrambles back. Harmony heaven. Next up Temporary Sanity, then Buffalo Grass again with MP3. Someone doesn't turn it off on time. "Ah, when I pull the Rio out of my ear that's your key to kill it". Instantly getting Todd's attention, Kas casually calls out to him "Skipper". I was really hoping Todd would reply "Yea little buddy?". Next up solo acoustic check with Love of the Common Man. I got 6 songs, showtime in 2 hours.

I don't even have a ticket so I'm thinking I should just stay here and hand Todd a tax free twenty later. Nah, I'd feel like a jerk. I walk back to the now heavily fortified front door, walk up to the ticket window and ask for a ticket. The guy says "we're not selling them yet, how'd you get in?", "I walked in that door", "What about the doorman?", "I got here before him", "You couldn't have", "Okay, maybe he went to pee", "He didn't". Borrowing a line from my daughter "whatever". I went outside to wait.

Yadda, yadda, yadda, the show kicked ass, especially Trapped. Right up against the stage the vocals were pretty thin. At one point a guy against the stage in front of Todd says "Todd, how about a little more vocals up front". Todd says "That happens to everyone who plays here, the PA's are over there and over there. If you want more vocals stand back there, if you want to check out my "package" stand there" (pointing right where the guy stands). Good one, Todd.

Todd mentioned the Letterman appearance that was pretty much playing as he spoke. He told us that instead of the typical "nice job" or "Thanks for coming" Dave ran over and gave him a big kiss, right on the lips. He told Kas that he thought Dave tried to slip him some tongue! A post show VCR check showed Todd made the whole thing up.

I got to meet some list members for the first time. I've met people years before I found the list, who were here when I got here. But this was the first time I ever met a real person who previously only existed on-line. Lia, Rohmer, Grady, Sue. BAwiz was well represented.

Unfortunately, the show was very lightly attended. A post show peeing bouncer was overheard to estimate the crowd at 200.

Post show, I asked Ed about the Letterman show and he said Todd wanted to do Yer Fast but Paul and the band wanted ISP. So they ran through Yer Fast and the band said "Yeah! do that!"

Walter Doherty
http://members.xoom.com/hodja451